The Forum revealed that over 150 people were recently killed in Yelwata, with an additional 200 fatalities recorded in Guma and Logo LGAs, describing the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe.

The Northern Elders Forum (NEF) has described the ongoing wave of killings in Benue State as “genocide,” attributing it to government inaction, political complicity, and systemic failure.

In a statement released on Wednesday and signed by the Forum’s spokesperson, Professor Abubakar Jika Jiddere, the NEF warned that the violence engulfing Benue—particularly in communities such as Yelwata, Guma, and Logo local government areas—is pushing the state toward total collapse.

The Forum revealed that over 150 people were recently killed in Yelwata, with an additional 200 fatalities recorded in Guma and Logo LGAs, describing the situation as a humanitarian catastrophe.

Thousands have reportedly been displaced into poorly managed internally displaced persons (IDP) camps, where access to basic amenities such as clean water, healthcare, and food remains dismal.

The NEF rejected the portrayal of the crisis as an ethnic or communal conflict, insisting instead that it is a politically driven tragedy fueled by criminal negligence and partisan interests.

The Forum warned that the federal government’s continued silence amounts to a betrayal of its constitutional responsibility to protect lives and property. It accused authorities of allowing a culture of impunity to flourish.

Professor Jiddere said: “The situation has degenerated into unrestrained bloodshed and lawlessness, turning communities into killing fields and exposing the utter collapse of governance, accountability, and security. Benue State, one of Nigeria’s critical agricultural hubs, plays a vital role in national food production, youth and women employment, and economic stability. Today, this once-thriving state is under siege.

“The lives of its innocent citizens are being violently cut short, and its socio-economic structure is being systematically destroyed, while the government stands by in silence, helplessness, or worse, complicity.

“The NEF is outraged by the continued massacres. In just recent days, over 150 people were slaughtered in the Yelwata community. In Guma and Logo local government areas, another 200 lives were wiped out.

“Thousands have been displaced into squalid, unsafe IDP camps with no access to healthcare, clean water, or basic necessities. Medical services are overstretched and collapsing. Women, children, and the elderly are dying in silence while the government looks away.”

The NEF emphasised that the ongoing violence should not be mistaken for an ethnic clash. Rather, the group described it as a deeply rooted political crisis, worsened by gross negligence, self-serving political agendas, and a collapse of effective leadership.

The group condemned efforts to portray the situation as ethnic or communal, calling such narratives deceitful and reckless. According to the NEF, this misrepresentation distracts from the real issues and serves to protect and embolden the perpetrators.

“The government's refusal to act, speak, or even acknowledge the scale of the crisis is a betrayal of its core constitutional responsibility. It has failed in its primary duty to protect the lives and property of its citizens. What we are witnessing is not just failure but deliberate inaction, a culture of impunity, and an alarming collapse of national integrity,” NEF said.

The Forum, emphasising urgency and decisive leadership, issued a set of strong demands aimed at halting the escalating crisis in Benue State.

It called for the immediate deployment of elite, well-equipped security forces to restore peace and order, rejecting half-measures and rhetorical posturing.

The statement also pressed for a full, independent inquiry into the political and economic interests fueling the violence, along with the criminal efforts to obscure them.

The Forum demanded swift arrests and transparent prosecution of all those responsible, including officials whose actions or inaction have enabled the bloodshed, insisting that no individual should be above the law.

Additionally, it advocated for comprehensive support and compensation for victims, grieving families, and displaced populations. To ensure enduring peace, the Forum concluded with a call for a complete overhaul of Nigeria’s national security structure—one that embraces truth, openness, and inclusive dialogue with all regions and stakeholders.

“The NEF stands in unshakable solidarity with the people of Benue and all crisis-hit communities in Northern Nigeria. These killings were preventable. The destruction we are seeing today is the direct consequence of government indifference, incompetence, and dereliction of its core responsibilities. Enough is enough,” it added.

“If the government continues on this path of silence and denial, it will have declared itself an enemy of justice, unity, and the people it was elected to serve.”